


Cold

by Nellie2018



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, Hurt Dean Winchester, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 11:13:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19392967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nellie2018/pseuds/Nellie2018
Summary: Dean Winchester is alone in the dark, slowly freezing to death with scarce hope of rescue.  Little does he know but his brother and friends are on their way.   Set after season 7 where Castiel has lost his grace after his run-in with the Leviathans and slightly non-canon as Bobby survived as Dick Romans gunshot missed.





	Cold

He woke up again and became slowly aware of several things - cold, wet, restriction, darkness and pain. He opened and closed his eyes but it was no different from last time. He tested his arms and felt the cut of ropes at his wrists where they were tied above his head. He moved slightly and felt the slosh of water around his waist. Not just any water, but ice cold water and he shivered violently, any residual warmth he may have had, already leached away from his internment. He tested his bonds and winced at the pain in his wrists, shoulders and most of all his head. At least the steady drip of blood had slowed down the side of his face.  
He cursed silently as his frozen lips refused to form words. He knew he was in big trouble and deep down he knew that was little hope of rescue this time. Sam would know he was missing but would not have a clue where to look. Dean sighed and closed his eyes. He was in no doubt that this was the end. Perhaps one day someone would find his rotted body and wonder who he was. He would miss his brother and his extended hunter family. Their shared experiences had bonded them all into a tightly knit unit.  
“I’ll see you upstairs hopefully Sammy” he thought as he felt the strength leaving him as the cold bit deeply into his bones. “It’s been a blast” was his last thought before he lost consciousness.

The day was dark, rain battering through the trees, dropping heavily onto the ground. Sam resolutely strode down the path, Castiel and Bobby walking alongside him, splashing through the deepening puddles. “Are we nearly there” he asked again, aware that time was quickly running out.   
Castiel answered “I feel that we are getting closer to him but his aura is fading. We must hurry before I lose trace of him completely.”  
Castiel continued the pace, sorry that his depleted grace could not power any faster method of travel.  
Sam followed him, trusting the angels instincts. Castiel had been able to latch onto Deans aura and this gave them an approximate area to search but the weather conditions were atrocious and hampered their progress constantly.   
“Sam” called Bobby, spotting something at the side of the path. Sam saw what Bobby was looking at and swallowed quickly, a feeling of nausea hitting his stomach. He recognised Deans boots and clothes and stooped to pick them up. Deans phone was tucked into a sock in one of the boots. He didn’t like to think how long a man could last without clothing in this storm. “We’re definitely on the right track. He can’t be far away.” he said, burying his fears away for another time. He packed the boots and clothing in his backpack. “Dean will need these when we find him” he said resolutely. Bobby knew that the odds on Dean being alive were getting slimmer but he kept his mouth shut and followed the tall hunter, now striding on with fresh purpose. The friends continued forward, following the path, their boots squelching through the mud.. Coming round a bend they came across an abandoned cabin, the woods already encroaching on the crumbling beams of the porch and Sam broke into a run and threw the main door open.  
“Dean” he called loudly. “We’re here. Where are you?”  
He was met with silence. They searched the small cabin quickly, it was merely 2 rooms, but there was no sign that anyone had been in there for many years.  
Frustrated Sam turned round. “Where is he Cas?” he cried.  
Castiel stood still and concentrated. He shook his head slowly. “He is near but I can’t latch onto him precisely. His aura is very faint.”  
Bobby moved to the door. “He must be close, lets spread out and search outside.”  
Castiel hesitated. “I feel something - it’s dark, cold .. wet.” he turned round raising his eyebrows. “A cave perhaps?”.  
Bobby shook his head. “I don’t remember seeing anything like that on the map. Come on let’s look around.”  
They walked outside and examined the surroundings critically. Sam spotted it first. A short distance away lay a large water storage tank, a remnant from the days when the cabin was occupied. The mud was slick and he slipped and slid as he ran towards the metal container. It looked more than big enough to hold a man.  
“Dean” he called as he threw off his backpack and desperately climbed the small ladder on the side and threw the cover off the top.  
His brother lay inside, arms bound to an internal pipe and his body half covered in water. Scared that he was too late Sam shook the rainwater soaked hair from his eyes and jumped through the entry and checked for any pulse. Bobby climbed up and began sawing through the ropes imprisoning the still body. He caught his hand against Deans arm and was frightened by the coldness beneath his fingers. “Come on boy” he muttered and was pleased to hear Sam cry “I can feel a pulse, slow and faint but definitely there. He’s alive.” The older Hunter cut through the final bond and lifeless arms fell bumping into Sam who gathered his brother into his strong embrace.  
“Shit he's freezing” he exclaimed.  
“Lift him up Sam. We need to get him warmed up.” Bobby leaned down to lend a hand as Sam lifted his injured brother up, Castiel helping to bring Dean's stiff body down to the ground. The angel frowned as he felt his friends aura fading. 

Bobby took over, each member of the party deferring to his experience.  
“We need to warm him before we hike back to the car. He won’t last the trip otherwise.” He turned to Sam who was holding Dean in his arms again.   
“Get him into the cabin and strip off his wet clothes. Castiel see if you can help him while I get the fire going.”  
Sam and Cas took Deans body into the cabin and lay him down on the floorboards near the grate. Gently they stripped the wet clothes from him, cursing at the injuries found beneath them. Dean had obviously been beaten and a large gash on the side of his head still sluggishly bled. His wrists bore the scars of the ropes and his efforts to free himself.   
“Cas is there anything you can do?” Sam said desperately, rubbing his brothers arms and legs to try and get the circulation going.  
The angel knelt and placed both hands on either side of Deans head. He closed his eyes and a dim blue light shone from his fingers. Gasping he fell back as his limited grace drained even more.  
“I’m sorry Sam but I am not strong enough to heal him.”  
“Thanks for trying” Sam said, completely understanding the despair on Castiels face. “You did enough just getting us to him in time.”   
Bobby hustled past with some wood and expertly set the fire in the grate and soon they felt the heat begin to thaw all of them out. Bobby then produced two blankets from his backpack and a basic medical kit having anticipated their need when they found the young hunter.  
Sam cleaned and neatly stitched his brothers head wound and attended to the damaged wrists. During that time Dean did not stir.  
“He’s still too cold” muttered Sam, again rubbing the frozen limbs.  
Bobby stoked the fire again and moved over to Dean, placing a thermometer in his ear. After a few seconds it beeped. “ 92.5. That’s too damn low to be healthy. He needs body heat Sam. Strip off and we’ll cover both of you with the blankets.”  
Without question Sam immediately began to pull his boots and jeans off. Taking everything off he grabbed his brother in a close embrace, trying to bestow his body heat over every part of his body. He shivered at the coldness but persevered knowing that he was close to losing Dean. Castiel tucked in two blankets around them and slowly the injured man began to thaw out, the heat of the fire seeping into his bones. His sluggish breathing evened out and Sam felt the rigid muscles begin to relax, the shivering quieting to a small tremor. They lay by the fire for hours as Bobby and Cas pottered about keeping the fire going. A rope was strung up and all the wet clothing hung up to dry and the room became hot and humid.  
The rain continued to pour down but the cabin was watertight and Bobby felt it wasn’t a good idea to move until the storm had passed. The older hunter watched from his place on the floor near the fire as Sam murmured quietly to his injured brother. His affection for both of the boys made his heart hurt as he watched. He felt like a father to them now that John was gone and he knew the boys felt the same. Although Dean was warming up, Bobby knew that he was not safe yet. Hypothermia could lead to pneumonia, fever, perhaps even frostbite apart from the mentallly challenging PTSD from being bound, frozen and half drowned in a dark tank. For now he was just glad that the young hunter had a loyal and loving brother who would help him through his recovery.

Sam dozed for a while, Dean snuggled into his chest and enclosed by his strong arms. He ran through the events of the previous day in his mind. He had been terrified that he would have been too late to save his older brother. He closed his eyes and began to remember.

24 hours earlier

They were just checking out of the Alligator Inn just outside Poughkeepsie when Deans cellphone rang. Handing his bag to his tall brother he looked at the screen to identify who was calling and grinned.  
“Hey Bobby”  
“Hi Dean. Where are you boys?”  
“Just leaving Poughkeepsie. What’s up?”  
“I’ve got a message on hunter radio that someone has been asking questions about you.”  
Dean frowned, that didn’t bode well.  
“Any idea who?”  
“Not much information. It was kind of second hand, passed along the line. Just a fellow in Chasetown, Texas asking questions about you?”  
Dean glanced at Sam who was listening to the conversation. He shrugged  
“I guess it’s not that strange considering how famous you are in certain circles.”  
“How long ago was he asking around?” Dean asked Bobby.  
“He was in Chasetown two days ago. If I hear any more I’ll let you know.”  
“Thanks Bobby, we’ll catch up soon.”  
“Take care Dean and don’t go doing anything daft.”  
Sam smiled as Dean shook his head. “As if I would. Bye.”  
He hung up and turned to his brother.   
“Fancy checking this dude out?”  
Sam frowned. “He could be leading you into a trap. There’s a lot of people you’ve upset over the years.”  
Dean knew Sam was right but the situation niggled at him.  
“Maybe he’s looking for some help?”  
Sam sighed. “I guess you’re not going to settle until we find out. “  
He pointed to the Impala and opened the door. “You drive and I’ll do some research.”  
Dean nodded and entered the location into his cellphone, bringing up a map and directions.

As they drove Sam trawled through the local news sites for information on Chasetown. He scrolled through various sites until he stopped on one. “Aha” he declared  
Dean turned to glance at his passenger “What is it?”  
“Several disappearances running back a couple of months. No bodies found.”  
Dean whistled. “Looks like something is happening in the area that needs investigating.”  
Sam nodded. “I’ll do a bit more digging.”

The journey, with a couple of breaks, took them just over 10 hours and they arrived tired and hungry. It was a quiet backwater town in the back end of beyond, just another forgotten small town of America. They checked into a dated motel and discussed their options over a meal at a local diner. Dean smiled at the waitress who brought their order to the table. They had chosen this diner as three of the victims had disappeared after eating there. She was a middle aged lady with dyed blond hair and a lived in face.  
“Good to see some fresh faces in here. Chasetown isn’t much of a destination these days.”  
Dean nodded. “Just travelling through. Thought we’d look up a couple of friends from way back while in the area”.  
“Anyone I know ?” she asked. “Most of the town seems to drop in here on occasion.”  
Dean mentioned the name of the latest reported missing person.  
“Dan Blocker. I’ve not heard from him in quite a while.”  
The waitress, Sue, sighed.  
“I’m afraid Dan’s not been around for a few days.”  
“Any idea where he went?” asked Sam  
She shook her head. “No. It’s a bit strange. He walked out of here on Thursday and disappeared. He never turned up to work next day and no one has seen sight nor sound of him since. To be honest he’s not the only one.”  
The Winchester brothers shared a glance.  
“What does the Sheriff think?”  
She dismissed the Sheriff with a wave of her hand. “He’s not bothered. The guys who went missing are not societies greatest citizens. Dan liked a drink or two after work and sometimes got a little too handy if you know what I mean”  
Sam nodded and Dean shifted uncomfortably as he identified with Dan.  
“Anyway, enjoy your dinner before it goes cold.” said Sue and moved away.  
Sam raised his eyebrows. “Was Dan a hunter?”  
Dean shrugged “I don’t know. I’ll check with Bobby?”  
After finishing their meal, Dean rang Bobby and he confirmed that Dan indeed was a hunter, on the low scale but definitely in the hunter family.  
“Well we know who was asking for you now.” sighed Sam  
“What do you reckon?”  
“I have no idea. Could be anything. The lack of bodies rules out some things. Could be a nest of vamps?”  
“Or ghouls?”  
Dean stood up to pay the bill.  
“We’ll be here all night guessing at what it could be. We’ll get some shut eye and then go and see the Sheriff in the morning. See if we can pick up any clues.”

They walked back to their motel room slowly, shivering as the cold winter breeze blew through their clothing. It was mid February and the area was suffering a cold snap. Just before the motel was an alleyway and as they passed they were confronted by a gang of 4 burly men.  
“Give us your money and we’ll let you on your way.”  
Sam glanced at Dean who sighed.  
“We really don’t have time for this dudes. Just walk away.”  
The leader stepped forward and raised a knife. “Money now” he snarled.  
Dean reacted with a hunters instincts, disarming his opponent and twisting to avoid an attack from another. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sam engaged in a hard fight, tackling the other two assailants. The Winchester brothers were expert fighters and were gaining the upper hand until a fifth person stepped out from the shadows with a gun. He aimed at Dean and pulled the trigger. Dean grunted as a dart embedded itself in his neck. As Sam turned and became aware of the new danger it was already too late and a second dart hit him in the neck. Senses dulling, both brothers sank to their knees. Dean reached out to Sam but it was too late and his hand fell away as he collapsed into darkness. Rain began to fall.

Sam awoke, cold and wet. He raised his head and winced as his head throbbed. Groggily he looked around and found that he was alone lying on the ground in the alley, hidden from view of the sidewalk. Lifting himself to his knees he glanced at his watch and found that he'd lost 40 minutes. He rose slowly to his feet and grabbed his phone from his pocket and frowned as he felt his wallet beside it. Strange he thought that the muggers hadn’t bothered to take what little money he had. He searched for his brother but there was no sign of him Ringing his phone produced no answer and as he walked back to his motel room, he rang Bobby.  
“Hi Sam.”  
“We’re in trouble Bobby.” said Sam simply.  
“Balls. You’re in Chasetown aren’t you?”  
Sam confirmed and told Bobby what had happened.  
“Where can I find you?” he sighed, moving to get his car keys.  
“Cotters Motel, just off the main street - only motel in town. Room 14.”  
“Ok, you scout round again and then get some sleep if you can. I’ll be with you by   
morning.”  
“See you soon Bobby. I’ve got a bad feeling that Deans in big trouble.”

Dean was shivering uncontrollably now, his body soaked to the skin by the cold rain that had fallen continually for the last few hours. His feet slid in the cold mulch under the tree that he was tied to. His hands were bound and hooked over a branch which meant that his toes barely met the ground. His coat, overshirt, boots and socks had been removed and he was absolutely freezing. He had woken up tied to the tree in the middle of the dark woods. The four men had left leaving only one behind and despite Dean trying to engage him in conversation, his kidnapper had remained silent. Dean assessed him again, tall, short dark hair protected by a warm hat, a warm waterproof royal blue coat keeping the wind and rain out. Dean had dubbed him Blue Man.  
Eventually, his aggressor walked towards him, keeping a safe distance from kicking legs.  
“Cold enough Dean.” he sneered  
Deans teeth chattered as he forced out a reply.  
“Who the hell are you?” he asked, disconcerted that the man had used his real name.  
Blue man looked at him coldly. “I suppose you don’t remember me. I’m not surprised. You’ve killed so many, what more is another monster?”  
Dean’s stomach sank, he obviously had a history with this guy and that made him a very dangerous opponent.  
“You killed my brother.” Blue Man said simply.  
Dean grimaced. “I’ve killed a hell of a lot of monsters. You’ll have to pin that down a bit more.”  
“Skinwalker, El Paso, July 2008. Bring back any memories?”  
Dean cast his mind back. His memory of his kills was always filed away. “He was a killer. Deserved everything he got.”  
He grunted as Blue Man punched him hard in the stomach.  
“My brother was doing no harm. He was trying to survive. We all are.”  
Dean gasped, trying to draw air into his lungs. “He killed a family of 4 who were camping.”  
“He took maybe 3 or 4 every year. Most of them homeless bums, hopeless alcoholics, druggies. He made one mistake and you hunters killed him.”  
Dean shook his head. “He deserved everything he got” he snapped, gasping again as Blue Man punched him in the side of his head, opening up a cut from his large ring.  
“Are you worried about your brother?” said Blue Man nonchalantly. “Maybe I have cut his throat and left him bleeding out in the alley.”  
Deans soul shrivelled. “No” he gasped involuntarily.  
Blue Man smiled at the reaction. His plan was going to work perfectly. His source had been right. To torture one brother was to torture both. He continued with a smile.  
“But I didn’t. He’s safe enough, he will have woken up with a headache from the sedative but nothing more serious.”   
Dean heaved a sigh of relief.  
“He’ll be looking for me and you are going to regret it when he finds you.”  
“Maybe, but he’s got to find us first. You’re going to disappear Dean and no-one will ever find you. Then he can suffer the agony of a lost brother just as I have. I guess you should say goodbye”. He took Deans phone from his pocket and dialled Sam.

Bobby had just arrived at the motel when Sams cellphone rang. “Dean” he cried seeing the caller ID “Where the hell are you?”  
“I’m afraid Dean can’t come to the phone right now.” said a mocking voice.  
“Who is this? Where is my brother” demanded the tall hunter, gripping the phone tightly feeling Bobby moving to his side.  
“He’s here with me Sam. I just thought you may like to say goodbye. I’m going to leave him soon and you will never find him.”  
Sam bellowed “You son of a bitch. Tell me where he is.”  
“No” was the simple reply.   
“Sam, Blue man …. skinwalker” called Dean desperately trying to get his message across. Sam heard a cry of agony as Blue Man kicked his brother viciously.  
“I’m coming for Dean.” Sam ground out “and when I do, I’m going skin you” he swore at Dean’s kidnapper.  
Blue Man laughed. “Good luck with that. It’s cold today, and the rains getting pretty heavy. I don’t think he’ll last too long where I’m going to leave him. Goodbye Sam. Perhaps we may catch up some time.” He clicked off the phone and walked over to his vehicle. He drew out the dart gun and loaded another sedative dart. Dean struggled within the confines of his predicament but there was no way of protecting himself. “Goodbye Sammy” he whispered as he felt the dart enter his arm.

Sam let the phone fall loosely from his hand onto the bed. He turned to Bobby in despair. Bobby sat the young Winchester down and settled on his knees in front of him.  
“Dean will fight him all the way Sam. Now we know he’s going to be outside somewhere because he said it was raining and cold.”  
“But where?” asked Sam quietly and thought for a few seconds, processing the available information. Bobby looked up sympathetically at the desperate young man in front of him.   
“We know he got a phone signal so he can’t be too far out of town.” he said slowly.  
Sam picked up the phone “I can trace the call and track it down to an approximate area but it’s still going to a large area to search. We need help. I called Castiel but I don’t know how long it’ll take for him to get here”.  
They jumped at a knock at the door of the motel room. Sam moved over and after peeping out of the window threw the door open. A bedraggled angel stood in the doorway.  
“Hello Sam” he said and Sam ushered him in “Cas, it’s good to see you.”  
Castiel moved into the room and Sam closed the door behind him.  
“I got your message. Has something happened to Dean? I feel something is wrong.”  
Sam indicated Cas to take off his soaked coat. He was lacking angel grace after his run in with the Leviathans and could no longer fly so had to resort to road transport. He had travelled to Sam as fast as he could after receiving Sams phone message. He now listened as Sam told him what had happened and the phone call.  
“We can pin him down to an area but it’s going to take ages to search and we don’t have much time.” said Sam, pulling up a location from the phone.  
Castiel nodded “If you can get me close to him, I will be able to feel his aura. It may not be perfect but I think I can narrow the search area.”  
Bobby took charge. “Right, let’s get our kit together and ship out. We’re going to find Dean.”

Back to the present.

Dean stirred and pressed himself into the warmth. Becoming a little more aware he felt the movement of breaths under his cheek and he felt a pair of arms tightening around him. Sam peered down feeling the movement. “Dean, are you snuggling?” he whispered. Dean woke up more and opened his eyes to be met by the well chiselled pecs of his brother. With a sudden realisation he found that he was cuddling with his brother and what’s more, both of them were naked! He pulled back and instantly regretted it as pain sparked in several parts of his body.  
“Easy Dean, you’re hurt but you’re going to be ok.”  
Dean decided that moving was a very bad idea so he rested his face against Sams chest again.  
“How you doing?” asked Sam worredly. Dean was warm but the bruising was livid on his pale skin.  
“Been better.” grunted Dean, riding the throb of the various injuries.  
He felt a hand on his forehead which confused him as both of Sams arms were still wrapped around him. He looked up and saw Bobby looking down at him in concern.  
“How you feeling boy?” he asked.  
Dean considered for a moment before answering.   
“Warm and safe. I guess you guys found me in time.”  
Bobby nodded. “It was a close run thing. You were frozen when we found you. Sam had to share his body heat or we would have lost you.”  
“How did you find me?”  
“Cas” said Sam.  
“Cas?” asked Dean puzzled. He felt another person come to stand by him and looked up to gaze into the eyes of a very concerned angel.  
“Hello Dean.”  
“Cas tuned into your aura and managed to get us to you.”  
“My aura?” wondered Dean. “Can you do that for anyone?”  
“Only for those who I am very close to Dean. I am sorry that I was unable to heal any of your injuries. I am afraid my grace is still not at full strength.”  
Dean nodded his thanks, a warm feeling enveloping his heart at the Angels inadvertent admission of feelings. He moved again and winced so Bobby moved to get the painkillers.  
“So what’s the damage?” asked the injured hunter. “Sam, you can stop cuddling me now.”  
Sam laughed and released his arms so that Dean could turn over.  
“Hypothermia, bruises to your abdomen, cuts and rope burns on your wrists and 4 stitches in a head wound. All in all, you’ve had a pretty bad time of it.”  
Dean sat up with the help of his brother and shakily took the pills and glass of water from Bobby. He chugged them back quickly as Sam steadied his hand. His head was killing him and this body felt like it had been used as a football. He looked around. “Where are we?”  
“What do you remember?” asked Sam.  
“Blue Man had me strung up to a tree in the woods. Bastard took away my boots and coat, left me freezing in the rain while he just watched. How did you figure it out?”  
“He rang me so that I could say goodbye” said Sam frowning at the memory. “We managed to trace the call and Cas got us close to you. I found you in an old water tank, strung up and half submerged in freezing water. You were frozen stiff when we got you out of there. I thought ...” he couldn’t continue.  
Dean closed his eyes at the memory of being cold, wet and restricted in darkness. Swallowing he concentrated on burying that particular memory. He looked up at the three concerned faces and smiled weakly.  
“Thank you.” he said quietly.  
Bobby stood up. “We’ll give you half an hour to let those painkillers kick in and then we can get you back to the motel.“  
Dean nodded, the pills were already beginning to make him sleepy. He jumped slightly as a thermometer was inserted into his ear. It beeped and Bobby tutted at the result.   
“102.2. You’re running a bit hot there Son.”  
“That’s to be expected isn’t it Bobby? asked Sam concerned.  
“Considering how cold he was, I would expect Dean to run a little fever.” He addressed the rapidly fading patient. “You just need to rest and take it easy for a few days. It’ll be easy for you to pick up a fever if you overdo it.”  
“Ok, a few days rest sounds good to me.” Dean closed his eyes and lost his battle with sleep, his exhausted body succumbing to the opiates.  
“Right let’s get him dressed and bundled up. It’s stopped raining but it’s still cold out there.” “Sam, you’d better get yourself dressed as well. ” said Castiel and threw a puzzled frown as Sam laughed out loud. “I wasn’t thinking of going back to town naked Cas” he laughed, his worries about his brother easing. He rose to his feet and clapped his hand on the angels shoulder becoming serious. “Thanks Cas. For everything”. Castiel nodded a quiet acknowledgement.

Dean did not stir as he was carried in Sams strong arms to Bobbys pick-up and they made their way back to the motel. They had found him fairly close to the town so the journey didn’t take too long. Sam revelled in the closeness and heat of his brother as he sat in the cab. This had been a close run thing and he knew it would be haunting his dreams for a long time to come. They got him in bed and settled and Dean slept most of the day. In late afternoon, he became aware of a gentle nudging at his shoulder.   
“Dean, wake up” whispered Sam. “You need to eat.”  
Dean groggily opened his eyes and with the help of his tall brother he managed to sit up against the bedhead. Sam walked away and returned with a bowl of soup and handed him a spoon. Slowly, as the muscles in his shoulders were wrenched, he managed to feed himself a few mouthfuls before shaking his head and indicating he’d had enough. Satisfied, Sam moved the bowl to the side and handed Dean a sugary drink. “Bobby says you need to eat, drink and get plenty of rest.”  
Dean looked around. “Where is he?”  
“He’s gone over to the diner with Cas. He’ll be back soon. We need to talk about Blue Man. You said he was a skinwalker?”  
Dean took a drink and gave the bottle back to his brother. He closed his eyes at the memory.  
“He said I’d killed his brother in El Paso. I don’t know whether you remember?”  
Sam searched his memory. “Yeah, skinwalker killed a family in the woods.”  
“Yep that’s the one. He’s been hunting me wanting his revenge. When he took over Blockers body, he found an ideal opportunity to lure me close.”  
“We’ll find him Dean and when we do I’m going to rip his heart out.”  
“Yeah.” confirmed the injured hunter, his body tiring rapidly. “Just wait till I get my strength back and I’ll hold him down for you.”  
Sam frowned as Dean closed his eyes and he helped him slide down under the covers again. Bobby had warned him not to expect too much. Dean was still running a temperature but Bobby didn’t seem too worried.

Bobby and Castiel were sat in the diner. Castiel did not need to eat so only had a coffee in front of him and he watched as Bobby finished off his meal. They were both aware that they were dealing with a skinwalker so were acutely aware that any person in that diner could be the Blue Man. Bobby never felt completely comfortable in the Angels company but they sat quietly, their conversation stilted. The waitress came over.  
“You guys need anything else?” she asked.  
Bobby shook his head. “No thanks Ma’am. That was just great.”  
Sue looked at the door as a dark haired man in a blue coat came into the diner.  
“Dan, it’s good to see you. I’ve been worried, you just disappeared.”  
Dan moved in and gave her a smile.   
“No need to worry. Just got called out on a job for a few days.” He looked over to where Bobby and Castiel sat, wary of the strangers.  
He moved to the bar and sat down as Sue poured him a large cup of coffee.  
“So what’s new?” he asked  
“Been a few new faces in town. Couple of your friends turned up asking about you.”  
“Who was it?” asked Dan, shrugging his coat off his shoulders.  
“Not sure I remember their names. Stocky guy, brown hair, mid 30’s and his brother, younger, tall.”  
Bobbys ears perked up.  
Dan nodded. “ Have you seen them since?”  
“No” admitted Sue. “I guess they left town”.  
“Time to go Cas” whispered the older hunter, standing up and tossing a few notes on the table. The angel stood and followed, leaving behind a cooling coffee. Dan turned and watched as they left. There were too many strangers around here to be comfortable he decided. He would be moving on soon.

Sam looked up as Bobby and Castiel opened the door.  
“He woke up and I managed to get him to eat something” he said “although it wore him out. He’s gone back to sleep.”  
“Sam, I think he’s in the diner.”  
Sam looked up confused. “Who?” he asked.  
“Dan Blocker wearing a blue coat.”  
“Blue Man?” breathed Sam.  
Bobby nodded. “I think it’s the skinwalker using Blockers image. The original Blocker is probably dead”.  
Sam stood up quickly. “I’m gonna kill him” but Bobby put a hand on his arm holding him back.  
“Not in a public place Sam. We need to do this away from prying eyes. We’ll get him but need to do it properly.”  
Sam sighed and nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. It’s just so frustrating knowing that he is only round the corner.”  
“I know Son. Look, Dean isn’t fit for anything yet so we’ll have to get Castiel to look after him whilst we deal with the son of a bitch.”  
Sam sighed again and scrubbed his hand through his long dark hair.  
“How do you want to do this?”  
“Well, we need to draw him out. Let’s sit down and work out a plan”. Sam nodded and moved to the small table and sat down, Bobby taking the seat across from him. 

Sam walked slowly over to the diner, his stomach turning as he followed the agreed plan. He entered and walked over to an empty table at the rear, passing ‘Blue Man’ as did. He sat down wearily and picked up the menu and Sue came over.  
“Hi honey. I thought you’d moved on. You look tired, what can I get for you?”  
Sam sighed. “I’m not sure.” he said, seemingly in a daze. Sue looked at him in concern.  
“Bad day?” she asked sympathetically.  
Sam nodded “Yeah. My brother is missing.”  
The skinwalker became alert.  
Sue frowned. “I’m sure he’ll turn up.”  
Sam shook his head. “I don’t think he will this time. I got a call and I’ve been looking for him all day. I’ve got a bad feeling that something serious has happened.” He looked up at Sue, noticing the stiff stance of the man at the bar behind her.   
“You told us yesterday that other guys had gone missing. Dan was one of them.”  
“Well you don’t need to worry about him. He’s just over there. Dan come over here will you.”  
Sam looked up and met the eyes of his brothers kidnapper. Swallowing his hate, he put on his game face.  
“Good to see you’re in one piece Dan.”  
Dan moved over and sat down in front of the tall dark haired man. He gloated inside that Sam didn’t know it was him that had killed his brother.  
“I don’t suppose you’ve heard anything on the hunter grapevine? We were worried that they had got you as well” he asked quietly as Sue moved away to get Sam a coffee.  
The skinwalker had killed the original Dan Blocker but held his memories as well as his image.  
“You know I’m a hunter?” he asked.  
Sam nodded. “Yeah, pretty obvious. Got a call from Bobby saying someone was asking around for Dean. Figured you were a local hunter wanting a bit of help. “  
Dan smiled inside. “Yeah, pretty much sums it up. Been chasing a gang of vamps and they got a bit of a jump on me. Took me a little while to work my way back to town. What happened to your brother?”  
“Gang of 4 attacked us a couple of nights ago. Got the better of us and knocked me out. When I woke up Dean was missing. Son of a bitch rang to say he’d left him somewhere. I’ve been looking ever since but it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.” Sam looked down at his hands. “It’s been so cold with the rain and everything. I’m losing hope that he’s going to turn up alive.”  
“Was he outside?” asked Dan.  
Sam shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve searched but he could be anywhere.”  
Dan made sympathetic gestures whilst inside he was laughing. If only this naive boy knew the truth.  
Sam smiled weakly and continued “A bit of local knowledge is what I need. I’m desperate for any help”  
Dan stood up. ““I can call up a few local hunters and scout around. Give me your number and I’ll call you if I find anything.”  
“Thanks Dan” said Sam, inwardly cringing. He gave him his cellphone number. “I know it’s probably too late but I need to lay him to rest.”  
Sue came to the table which gave Dan an excuse to leave. She raised her eyebrows at his swift exit.   
“I heard what he said. He’s a good guy, a little rough round the edges but he’ll help you.”  
Sam nodded again. “I hope so.” he said quietly. “Now, I could do with something to eat. Any chance of a cheese pie.”   
“Certainly.” she said and moved away.

Sam sent a text message to Bobby who was waiting just round the corner informing him of Blue Mans departure. Bobby acknowledged and followed as he climbed into a battered old pickup and drove off. Seeing him safely away he entered the diner. He moved into the bathroom and found Sam waiting for him.   
“How did you get on.” he asked  
“I sowed the seed so just need to let it grow. My guess is that he’ll round up his 4 pals and draw me to a remote location. He won’t want any witnesses.”  
“And he doesn’t know about me or Cas?”  
“No. He thinks that Dean is still where he left him.”  
Bobby moved his hand to his arm. “You’ve done well Sam. That must have been hard for you knowing who he really is.”   
Sam shook his head. “I’m looking forward to our next meeting. I won’t be so sad and pathetic then. In the meantime, I’m going to have some good food and spend my time thinking about all the things I‘m going to do to him.”  
Bobby nodded. “Ok, I’ll see you back at the room.” He watched as the tall hunter left and after a couple of minutes he left and returned back to the motel.

Castiel returned to Deans side and sat down beside him, using his limited grace to try and ascertain the health of the sick man. He could tell that Deans fever was rising and there was the beginnings of congestion in his lungs. He pulled back the cover slightly and was concerned to see redness in the end of the toes, and using his grace he felt that this was the beginning of frostbite. Left untreated, the toes would turn black and rot, crippling his friend. He held his hand on the affected areas and let a warm blue glow eliminate from his fingers using his diminished grace to heal the damage. At least that would be one thing the sick hunter would not need to worry about. He did not have the power to fully heal his full health unfortunately and he knew that Dean would not be well for many weeks but he also knew that his family would be there for him during his recovery.  
He turned as Bobby came in.  
“Did the plan go well?” he asked.  
Bobby nodded. “Yeah. Sam played dumb and he fell for it. He’ll get Sam to a remote location to kill him. I’ll get there before him and act as backup.”   
He moved over to Dean and felt his forehead.  
“He’s getting hotter.”  
“Yes and I feel that his lungs are starting to get congested.”  
“Damn.”  
“I will do what I can to help him. Unfortunately my power is limited.”  
“Thanks Castiel. For an angel you’re not such a dick.”  
Cas frowned. “Thank you, I think”  
Bobby laughed and slapped him on the back.

Sam returned about half an hour later and they spent a few hours relaxing and formulating a plan. Dean woke occasionally and took in some food and fluids but his exhaustion drew him back into sleep quickly. His temperature rose slowly as a hypothermic fever built. His lungs were filling with fluid and his breathing becoming a little more laboured. All of them knew that if his condition worsened they would need to take him to a hospital.  
The phone rang at 11.15pm and Sam picked it up and spoke to the caller, swiftly noting an address before ending the call. Bobby and Castiel looked at him expectantly.  
“He’s taking me to the cabin where he stashed Dean.”   
“Ok. Give me a 10 minute start and then set off. It’ll do you good to keep him hanging around.”  
“Thanks Bobby - be careful.”  
The older hunter huffed and picked up his bag that he had packed previously.  
“Always am boy.”  
Sam moved to his brothers side and saw that Dean was burning with fever now and was restless in his sleep. Castiel came stand by the bed and stood by Sams shoulder.  
“I will look after him while you are away Sam” he said.  
“You need to try and bring his fever down. Try some cold compresses, there is an ice machine on the landing. I’ll go and get some.”  
Castiel shook his head. No, you need to prepare. I will go and get some.”  
Sam said a quiet thank you and watched as the Angel took the ice bucket and exited the room.  
He turned back when he heard a quiet “Sam.” from his brother. Dean was awake again.  
“Hey Dean. You’re going to be ok but you need to rest. I’ve got to go out for a little while but Cas will look after you.”  
Dean clutched weakly at his brothers arm. “Wait till I’m ready.”  
Sam shook his head. “I can’t. This is our only chance to get the bastard before he disappears.”  
“I’ll come with you.” said Dean determedly and tried to rise. Unfortunately he didn’t get too far before falling back in pain and exhaustion.  
Sam took hold of his hand. “I’ll be ok. Bobby is going as my backup.”  
Dean sighed resignedly recognising that there was no way he could help. He frowned and clutched Sams hand. “Come back safe Sammy” and Sam whispered “I promise” and squeezed the hand back. Castiel came back into the room shortly later and Sam showed him how to make cold compresses.   
Dean jumped as Castiel gently placed the cold towel on his forehead.  
“Cas” he breathed.  
“You must rest Dean. Your body is fighting a fever and your temperature is too high. The ice will help.”  
Dean didn’t have much energy so he just closed his eyes and drifted off. He was worried for his brother but he knew deep down that he was too sick to help. He was confident of Sams abilities but he could not shake the fear of not being there to protect him. He consoled himself that Bobby would be there to back him up and that Sam wasn’t going to be on his own.  
He heard his brother call out a final goodbye and called out a weak “Good luck” before losing his struggle and succumbing again to sleep.

Sam pulled the Impala into the road leading to the parking area near the cabin. He shivered at the thought of the previous nights visit. The rain had stopped but the ground was boggy and his shoes squelched through the mud. The night sky was clear and the full moon was high in the sky but It was cold and he drew his jacket around his body, trying to retain the warmth. He began to walk towards the cabin, fully aware that he was walking into a trap. As he turned a bend in the path he saw the cabin bathed in the moonlight. A man stepped out of the cover of the trees and Sam became aware of someone else coming up behind him.   
“Dan?” asked the young hunter, his instincts on high alert.  
“He’s up ahead.”  
“Where’s my brother, have you found him?”  
“Dan will explain. Come on we’ll show you the way.” The man grabbed at his arm and Sam had to fight the instinct to throw it off. He allowed himself to be led to the left and his stomach roiled as he saw he was being led towards the water tank.  
Dan was stood waiting for him, a grin on his face flanked by the other two men.  
“Welcome Sam.”  
“Have you found Dean?”  
“He’s not far away from here.” He gave a small wave of his hand and immediately Sam felt himself grabbed. He was efficiently disarmed.   
“What the hell’s going on?” he demanded.  
“These guys are my friends. They’ve brought me my brothers killer.”  
Sam struggled but was held tightly. He appealed to his captors, assuming they were fellow hunters.  
“I’m a hunter. His brother was a killer” he snapped. “This isn’t Dan. He’s a skinwalker wearing his image. Dan is dead.”  
The man nearest to him hissed “He said you’d say that.”  
Sam turned his head desperately to the guy nearest him.  
“Dan disappeared a few days ago, didn’t turn up for work did he?”  
The man nodded. “Look, he kidnapped my brother. Tied him up and left him for dead. I’m not the bad guy here.”  
The skinwalker angrily strode towards Sam and punched him hard in the jaw and Sam fell back stunned but the hunters grip on him prevented him from falling to the soggy ground.  
“The boy is telling the truth” said a gravelly voice behind him. Walking out from cover Bobby came towards the group with a shotgun in his hand. “Let him go and we’ll talk” he said firmly.  
The two men holding Sam released their captive and raised their hands, unsure of the turn of events. Bobby waved for the other two to join them which they did, uncertain as to what was happening.  
“What did he tell you?” asked Sam to the guy nearest to him.  
“That you and your brother killed his brother a few years back. He wanted our help to avenge his death.”  
“Walk away now. The creature standing before you is not Dan. He killed him and took his image and memories. Cut him with a silver knife and that’ll show you who he really is.”  
The skinwalker realised that the game was up and he threw himself at Sam knocking him to the ground away from the others.  
Bobby desperately aimed the gun but couldn’t get a clear shot as the two men fought on the ground. Sam flicked a silver blade from his sleeve and attempted to cut the skinwalker but they were evenly matched for strength and skill. The others watched the struggle, incapable or unwilling to join in.  
“I’m going to kill you for what you did to Dean.” snarled Sam, having pinned the skinwalker down, legs straddling his waist, bringing the knife downwards. The skinwalker held his arm, keeping the blade away from his throat.  
“You’ll never find his body.” he cried.  
“Too late, we’ve already found him. He’s back home, safe and warm.” He channelled his strength and thrust the blade through his enemies throat.  
The skinwalker cried out in anguish. As his blood flowed, the image faded and he reverted to an anonymous grey lump of flesh. Sam pushed a little further, the warm blood covering him and then felt Bobby wrap his arm around his shoulder and lift him away.  
“He’s dead Sam.” he said quietly.  
Sam stood up, shaking from the effort, blood flowing from a split lip. He looked at the four stunned men in front of him.  
“I was telling the truth” he said simply.  
One of the men came forward. “I’m sorry, we didn’t know. He told us a pack of lies.”  
Another spoke up. “Where’s your brother?”  
“He’s safe.”  
“Good. You need to get back to him. Dan was a good friend, we will deal with this bastard.”  
Sam pointed to the water tank. “He left Dean in there to freeze to death. Throw his body in there to rot. No-one will find it.”  
“We will do. Look after your brother. I’d recommend you leave town sooner rather than later. We’ll sort out any questions from the local law enforcement.”  
Sam nodded and walked away with Bobby.  
“How you doing boy?” he murmured as they returned to the cars.  
“Better now that I know he’s dead. Dean will be disappointed he missed out on all the fun.”  
Bobby nodded sagely. “Let’s get back. I’m not sure how good that Angels nursing skills are”

Castiel looked up relieved to see Sam and Bobby return. He stood up to examine Sam who was nursing a bloody lip and bruising to his jaw. Happily he was unable to detect any other injuries.  
“You need to put some ice on that” he commented and Sam gave him a tired smile.  
“Hows Dean doing?”   
Castiel turned to the bed. “His temperature does not seem to have increased significantly since you left. I think the ice compress has helped. His lungs are sounding congested and his breathing has become somewhat laboured.”  
Sam knelt down and examined Dean in concern. He felt his forehead and felt the heat through the palm.   
“Do you think we need to take him to a hospital?” he asked Bobby deferring to the older hunters experience.  
“We’re better off getting him away from here. Hospitals ask too many questions especially with his bruising and rope burns. He’s stable for now so I recommend we all get some rest and get back to my place tomorrow. You boys can stay at mine for however long it takes to get Dean back on his feet again.”  
“Sam?” groaned Dean, disturbed by their return.  
Sam looked down at the flushed face.  
“Too much blood.” said Dean and Sam looked down to where he was looking. His coat was covered with blood from where it had gushed from the skinwalker.  
He shook his head. “It’s ok. It’s not mine.”  
“You got him?”   
“Yeah, he’s not going to hurt anyone ever again.”  
“Did you bring his heart back?”   
Sam laughed.  
“No, I ended up stabbing him with a silver blade in his neck.”  
“Nice one.” Deans eyes closed and he drifted back to sleep.  
Sam stood up.  
“I guess I need a shower.”  
“That would be advisable Sam. You are covered in blood” said Castiel stating the obvious as usual.  
“You get yourself cleaned up boy. Then get some rest. Dean’ll be ok with us.”  
“Thanks Bobby.” said Sam. He pointed to the other bed “ You take that one and I’ll bunk down with Dean.”  
“Ok.” agreed Bobby and began to take his coat and boots off. “Don’t use all the hot water.” he called as Sam closed the bathroom door. He looked over at Castiel, uncertain if they would be sharing the bed. “ I guess you …” he started and Castiel interrupted “I don’t sleep. I will watch over you.”  
Slightly uncomfortable with that, Bobby pulled his cap down over his eyes and lay down to wait for Sam to finish.

A short while later, Sam climbed in beside Dean and whispered.  
“No snuggling this time”.  
Exhausted, the adrenaline now drained from him, he closed his eyes and soon joined his brother in sleep.

They returned to Bobbys the next day. Dean’s fever continued to abate but he came down with a harsh cough as he teetered on the edge of pneumonia. Careful nursing from his brother and friends eventually showed positive results and he began to come through the other side.   
Physically, he was exhausted and his recovery took many weeks but he bore the illness with surprising resilience. For once, he accepted that his body was broken and needed complete rest to fix it. He had a few more nightmares than usually, sometimes waking up in a sweat, screaming from the feeling of cold and dark but every time he felt Sam come to his side and soothe him back to sleep.  
It took nearly 3 months before he felt fit enough to go back on the road. Sam had patiently helped him, working out with him to build up his strength. Dean sometimes felt that Sam was being too protective but had to remember that he had nearly died and that Sam would have been left alone. The phrase “There ain’t no me if there ain’t no you.” reverberated between the pair and their close bond became stronger.  
Eventually though, Dean realised that they needed to get out there and Bobby gave them a couple of easy jobs to ease the pair back into hunting.

Bobby was tinkering with an old chevy when he heard the familiar roar of the 67 Chevy Impala. He turned round and watched as Dean pulled the car into a bay near the house and both of the young hunters got out. He waved and walked over to them, wiping his hand on an oily rag. Dean was dirty and tired and Sam was limping slightly but both had a grin on their faces.  
“Welcome back Boys.” he said happily. A warm feeling flooded through him as he looked at his boys. They were going to be ok. He couldn’t have been a more proud father.


End file.
